Three cuts complaints by being friendlier

Operator becomes least complained about network to Ofcom following the introduction of a number of new services and improvements, which it claims gives customers less reason to complain

Three has become the least-complained about network to Ofcom after taking steps to make itself more customer-friendly.

In its Q1 report, Ofcom said Three received 0.04 complaints per 1,000 customers. It replaced O2, which had held the top position for 13 straight quarters.

Three head of customer service Rocky Atkins (pictured) said what helped reduce complaints was the introduction of Feel At Home, – which is now available in 16 countries and enables customers to use their UK allowances abroad – making 0800 numbers free on new contracts and SIM-only plans, and rolling out 4G at no extra cost.

It has attempted to make its website and My 3 account management app more user-friendly, resulting in usage increasing by a factor of 20 in two years, and created a centralised complaints management team of 150 at its Glasgow call centre to resolve problems.

A year ago Three generated the most negatives in Ofcom’s report in how it handled complaints, but Atkins said the creation of this team has seen complaints in that category decrease 80 per cent. “These elements have gone a long way to giving customers less reasons to complain. We have invested in improving our website and My 3 app to make them more user-friendly. This has driven usage twenty-fold over the past two years.

“We have created a centralised complaints management team to resolve customer issues without the need for call backs or a supervisor coming on the phone. We have decreased complaints in that category by 80 per cent in the past year.”